But only for one half: Blackout causes game to be called early
The Menard High School Yellowjackets were riding high after their district defeat of long-time rival Junction High School. Regrettably, that high did not translate to a win against Christoval on Friday, October 15, 2021. The Cougars took the game 53-0 at halftime, leaving Menard at 1-1 in district play.
Toward the end of halftime, the field’s scoreboard suffered some electricity glitches. It was announced to the referees that they would need to keep time and score until the problem was resolved. Shortly after that announcement the stadium lights went dark. Once it was realized there was no immediate fix to the light situation, the referees called the game before the beginning of the third quarter. The score was 53-0, final.
“We knew going into the game with Christoval that they were a very good football team,” said head coach Justin Gorman. “Unfortunately, we made their job pretty easy early on, giving up a turnover that led to a score followed by a punt return for a touchdown.” Gorman said his players looked like they were in shock and the Christoval offense hadn't even seen the field yet.
“Once we got over the initial shock, our offense showed some fight and put together a drive to get into scoring position. A bad snap and hold on our field goal attempt prevented us from getting points on the board.”
Gorman does not feel like the team played to their capabilities and his players know that. “Moving forward, our team knows the importance of playing our best football through the rest of district,” said Gorman. The Yellowjackets next game will be this Friday, October 22, at 7:30pm in Miles. The Bulldogs are also 1-1 in district.